13th November 08

International Herald Tribune

Hong Kong finds tainted feed from China

Hong Kong food inspectors have found fish feed imported from China contaminated with high levels of melamine, a toxic chemical that has recently been blamed for tainting Chinese-produced milk, eggs and other foods.The Hong Kong government finding, reported late Tuesday, is the latest indication that melamine, a chemical used to make plastic and fertilizer, has seeped into large parts of China's food and feed industry, posing potential health hazards to consumers.

This time, Southeast Asia is not at center of the crisis

The remnants of the last financial crisis are still arrayed across this sprawling city, half-finished buildings covered with mold and rust stains, reminders of a real estate bubble a decade ago that burst with a loud bang. The crisis of 1997 was breathtaking for its suddenness and ferocity. Banks collapsed, companies went under and erstwhile millionaires, desperate for cash, sold their belongings at what became known as the market of the formerly rich. Now as another global financial crisis unfolds, the signs of distress in Southeast Asia are much more subtle.

Asia Times Online

Taiwan nabs an ex-president
By Cindy Sui

TAIPEI - While the media focus on the high-profile detention of Taiwan's former president Chen Shui-bian over suspicions of corruption, his alleged wrongdoings show that the island's 12-year-old democracy still has some way to go. Chen is the first former or incumbent Taiwanese president to be detained. He is the island’s second democratically elected leader

Sydney Morning Herald

Impact of financial crisis on China 'worse than expected':

China's Premier Wen Jiabao said the effect of the global financial meltdown on the country was "worse than expected," state media said Thursday, in a sign of growing concern at the impact of the crisis.